RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Putin and Zelensky ready to make a deal – Trump

The leaders of Russia and Ukraine are ready to make a peace deal, US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday. He has been trying to broker a ceasefire between the two neighbors since February. 

A reporter asked Trump on Air Force One about his communication with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. “I think he’s ready to make a deal. And I think that [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin is ready to make a deal,” Trump said. He declined to go into specifics but added that the US is having “a lot of good conversations about Ukraine and Russia.” 

“We like to see [the conflict] stopped as soon as possible because thousands of people have been killed in a week,” Trump said. “Europe has not been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I think I will be successful.”

Trump made his comments as Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, traveled to Washington, where he reportedly met with America’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. The sides mostly continued discussing steps to normalize bilateral relations frozen by the Biden administration in 2022, Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening. He noted the “positive dynamic” of the talks, adding that more meetings need to take place to resolve the differences.

Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, told Fox Business on Wednesday that Trump has been “frustrated” with both Putin and Zelensky. He remained optimistic about the negotiations, saying that the sides were “on the precipice” of a comprehensive ceasefire. 

Moscow has accused Kiev of multiple violations of an energy truce brokered by Trump last month. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine has struck fuel depots, gas facilities, and the electrical grid, despite promising to respect a 30-day pause on such attacks. Kiev has claimed that Russia was breaching the same agreement.

Russia has maintained that any long-term settlement would be viable only if the US and Ukraine address the root causes of the conflict. Moscow demands that Kiev abandon its plans to join NATO and recognize Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions as Russian territory.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskiy says details of foreign troop contingent in Ukraine could be ready in a month

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that European military planners could be ready within a month with details of a foreign troop contingent in Ukraine seen as critical to ending the war with Russia.

Kyiv is seeking security guarantees from its allies in the event of a peace agreement with Moscow to prevent a repeat of its February 2022 full-scale invasion.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv after meeting British and French military chiefs, Zelenskiy said many other countries would also contribute to the effort, which envisages foreign troops patrolling Ukrainian land, sea and airspace.

"I think the teams need about a month, no longer, and we will be fully ready with an understanding of this infrastructure," he said.

Zelenskiy added that military working groups would meet weekly until then to finalise the details. He did not specify which other nations would contribute.

Ukrainian army leaders including Kyiv's top general and the chief of its general staff also met the visiting European military officials on Friday.

Zelenskiy, who spoke shortly after a Russian missile attack killed 14 people in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih, said Kyiv's partners have "a lot of understanding" of Ukraine's needs.

"Today we discussed the issue of not only the quantity (of troops), but also the mandate," he said. "It is important for me."

RT/Reuters

A young Chinese woman went viral on social media after showing off her unusual home – a 6-square-foot toilet at her workplace for which she pays just 50 yuan ($7).

Everyone tries to save money on rent, but how many of us would be willing to sleep in an actual toilet to do it? One young woman from Hunan, China, recently shocked the world after posting photos of her unconventional living quarters – a small, unused toilet located inside the furniture factory where she works. The 19-year-old woman explained that she comes from a poor family and couldn’t afford to pay upwards of 800 yuan ($110) for a proper home, so she asked her boss if she could live there instead.

Her post went viral, but most people commented that she was only sharing photos and videos to attract attention because no one could live in such conditions. However, the woman’s boss took to social media to confirm that she was indeed sleeping in a 6-square-foot toilet at his factory.

“She insisted on paying me an extra 50 yuan for water and electricity every month, but I didn’t want to take her money,” the woman’s boss said, adding that the wholesale furniture factory was located in a remote industrial park that didn’t leave her many options for affordable rent.

The woman said that her boss tried helping her find more normal accommodations close to the factory, but the rent was between 800 ($110) and 1,000 yuan ($140). She currently earns a monthly salary of under 3,000 yuan ($415), and she is trying to save as much money as possible for a down payment on a home, so she didn’t think it was worth it. He even offered to let her live in an office at the factory, but she decided that the unused toilet offered more privacy.

“For me now, having a place to live is enough,” the young woman posted online. “I don’t want to spend a lot of money to rent a house. I definitely can’t bear to spend 800 yuan to rent a house.”

After her post went viral, the woman revealed that she had dropped out of school at the age of 16 to help her family with the finances, which makes this job that much more important to her. She has been living in the small toilet for about a month, but her boss is currently making modifications to an office, and she hopes to move there soon.

The 19-year-old woman’s unusual living conditions got mixed reactions on Chinese social media, with some people admiring her determination to save money and others saying that her health is more important than money and that no one should live in those conditions unless they had no other alternative.

Oddity Central

Chelsea Coates

Braids are one of the most popular hairstyles for black women, worn by celebrities and aunties alike - but questions are being raised about its effects on our health.

The process can last up to five hours as stylists deftly part small, evenly-spaced sections of hair, and gradually add in extensions.

Despite the long salon visits, braids have always been closely linked to convenience for me.

Growing up, they were for holidays, as the style meant that instead of fretting over how frizzy my hair would get, I could jump in the pool with no worries.

Braids are still what I turn to now when I want a few months break from all the detangling - or I want to try a new colour without the potential damage of hair dye.

But a new study suggests that the synthetic hair many black women use to achieve this style could be bad for their health.

The US non-profit organisation Consumer Reports tested samples from ten of the most popular brands of synthetic braiding hair, and found that all of them contained carcinogens, and in some cases, lead.

The research made an impact, as my Instagram feed and WhatsApp groups were flooded with links to the study, warning of the alleged risks hidden in our hair.

One of the messages was from my cousin, Rochelle, who does her braids herself every other month.

"Braids, famously, are called a protective style," she later told me.

It's a term typically used to describe several Afro hairstyles, including braids, locs and wigs, that reduce how much your hair is exposed to the elements and cut back on constant styling.

"The fact that this style is doing everything but protect us - it's actually harming us - is actually quite wild to me."

It is the lack of awareness among black women that is most concerning, she adds.

"People that are eating unhealthy food or smoking, they know that what they're doing could harm their body, whereas if you're putting braids in your hair, you're not thinking that it's harming you."

James Rogers, the head of product safety testing at Consumer Reports, says that the results are a cause for concern because women have "constant contact" with harmful chemicals if their hair is in braids, often for months at a time.

"We believe that whenever you're exposed to harmful chemicals, that it's cumulative - it all adds up."

But he also emphasised that more research was needed, saying: "We're hoping that this begins the conversation, not only at the regulatory level, but also amongst our own communities, about sharing accurate information."

Here at Josée's Professional Braiding Studio in north London, the study certainly isn't putting clients off.

Josée and her daughters Abigail and Naomi, who work with her in the salon, have seen interest from new customers, especially after they helped to create the wig worn by Elphaba in Wicked, one of highest-grossing movies of 2024.

"People were shocked by how versatile we can be with our braiding," Abigail tells me, adding that her mum received several messages from clients telling them how proud they were.

Josée says that while the findings are "worrying", it has been business as usual at the salon.

Some of her customers, however, have been rattled by the research.

It's Kellie-Ann's first time getting her braids done at Josée's salon, but she has been wearing the style since she was a child.

She tells me she felt betrayed after reading the study: "I think it's awful that companies have been doing this for years to black women and I think we deserve better."

She's now seeking out brands free from harmful chemicals and plastic - and says many of her friends are doing the same.

"A lot of women I've spoken to about it have agreed that biogradable would be better - it's good for the planet as well."

Ifeanyi has also worn braids since childhood, and says they are the easiest and most convenient style to handle while she's busy studying at university.

She argues that the study is not alarming, pointing out that people may come into contact with carcinogens every day, in certain processed foods, alcohol and tobacco.

"Obviously you want be cautious - I just think that it's not necessarily something to completely abandon the style or the hair for."

She's concerned that the social media posts she has seen will "scare people out of wanting to engage", to the detriment of a critical source of income for black entrepreneurs working in the hair industry.

In 2021 Treasure Tress, a UK-based beauty subscription for black hair, found that black British women spent £168m a year on hair products. Earlier research by L'Oreal suggested that black women in the UK spend six times more on their hair than white women.

"I'd like to see more of a commitment to making sure that things are safer for us, rather than telling us that some of our historical, traditional practices as black women are wrong," Ifeanyi says.

For some, changing attitudes towards synthetic hair are opening up business opportunities.

Tendai Moyo co-founded Ruka Hair in 2021, which specialises in extensions made from natural hair sourced from South East Asia, as well as biodegradable synthetic hair, made from collagen fibre.

She tells me they have seen a "huge uptick in demand", especially in the US, where the study was published.

But she sees this as part of a wider trend, which stretches beyond concerns raised by the new research.

"We launched in the pandemic, and people were like, 'Oh, but salons are closed', but we were selling out because people don't stop doing their hair."

She tells me that black women "got to experiment" more with their hair during lockdown and were more willing to try out new products.

One of the biggest draws of traditional synthetic hair brands, however, is their low price, which has made experimenting with different styles and colours affordable for years.

But newer brands tend to have a higher price point - Tendai tells me that Ruka's most popular synthetic hair type costs around 2.5 times more than several high street brands.

Ifeanyi says that, as a student, brands like Ruka are out of reach for her: "To purchase the hair is equivalent to the amount it would cost you to get the hairstyle done, so you're essentially doubling the price."

Tendai defends this by comparing it to choosing between "fast food and healthy food".

She adds: "You can actually reuse our products if you'd like, and therefore you're saving money in that way."

Back at Josée's salon, Naomi tells me that braiding is not just an important source of income, but a valued cultural practice that brings her family together.

"I call myself a braid baby because I've been braiding since I was 6 years old," she says, telling me how her family would bond over the skill as her mum proudly looks on.

"It's an empowering service to offer," she adds, saying that it's gratifying to do a job that leaves other women feeling uplifted.

Despite growing concerns about the effect it could have on our health, braiding is a precious heirloom for this family - and for many other black women - passed down from generation to generation.

As Ifeanyi tells me: "The form of extensions might change, but I don't think the practice of getting braids is going anywhere."

BBC

President Donald Trump announced his latest plan for tariffs on Wednesday afternoon during an event at the White House Rose Garden, which he said is going to focus on imposing reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners.

Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcementcomes after the conclusion of the trading day for U.S. financial markets, which have been rattled by uncertainty over tariffs in recent weeks. The S&P 500 is down about 3.9% year to date and the benchmark index's gains since Trump's election in November have been erased amid concerns about a widening trade war.

"April 2nd, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn," Trump said in remarks from the Rose Garden. "In a few moments, I will sign a historic executive order instituting reciprocal tariffs around the world. Reciprocal — that means, they do it to us, and we do it to them. Very simple, can't get any simpler than that."

"This is one of the most important days, in my opinion, in American history. It's our declaration of economic independence. For years, hardworking American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines as other nations got rich and powerful, much of it at our expense," Trump said. "But now it's our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt, and it'll all happen very quickly."

What are the tariffs?

The executive order outlining the reciprocal tariff plan is expected to be released later on Wednesday. The president indicated that aside from the reciprocal tariffs, the administration will establish a minimum baseline tariff of 10%.

During his Rose Garden remarks, Trump held up a poster board showing what it said were the combined rate of tariffs, other non-tariff barriers and currency manipulation by trading partners on U.S. goods, alongside the reciprocal tariffs the Trump administration plans to levy on imports from those countries. The administration later revealed the calculation included the U.S. trade deficit with those countries. Among those included were:

• China: 67% tariffs, barriers, and trade deficit; 34% reciprocal tariffs.
• European Union: 39% tariffs, barriers, and trade deficit; 20% reciprocal tariffs.
• Vietnam: 90% tariffs, barriers, and trade deficit; 46% reciprocal tariffs.
• Japan: 46% tariffs, barriers, and trade deficit; 24% reciprocal tariffs.
• India: 52% tariffs, barriers, and trade deficit; 26% reciprocal tariffs.
• South Korea: 50% tariffs, barriers, and trade deficit; 25% reciprocal tariffs.
• Taiwan: 64% tariffs, barriers, and trade deficit; 32% reciprocal tariffs.

The White House released a full list of the reciprocal tariffs in a post on X:

Canada and Mexico, which are party to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that Trump negotiated during his first term, did not appear in the White House's reciprocal tariffs fact sheet. The terms of the USMCA generally lowered or eliminated tariffs on goods covered by the free trade agreement.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that there are no exemptions to the tariffs, including for farmers, who were a central target for foreign countries' retaliatory tariffsduring Trump's first term in office.

Aside from the reciprocal tariff plan, the Trump administration has also discussed an across-the-board tariff of up to 20%, as well as a plan to focus tariffs on 15 countries with high levels of trade with the U.S. and relatively high tariff rates. Those plans appear to have been tabled in favor of the reciprocal tariff plan.

The White House may also launch its "External Revenue Service" to oversee tariff collection by moving that responsibility from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to the new ERS within the Commerce Department. The Trump administration contends that external companies and countries pay tariffs, though economists broadly agree that they are paid by the importing company, which would in this case be U.S. firms.

Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico with a carveout for a lower 10% tariff rate on Canadian energy products, then delayed those tariffs from taking effect on goods covered by the USMCA through April 2, at which time his new tariffs will replace them.

Trump previously announced 25% tariffs on auto imports, which take effect on April 3, and imposed 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Other sector-specific tariff plans that are influx include copper, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and lumber.

What's next?

The Trump administration's "Tariff Team" has been working on structuring the tariffs and negotiating with a number of other countries. The team includes President Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.

Leavitt said Tuesday that "quite a few countries" have reached out to the Trump administration to discuss ways to lower tariffs.

The Trump administration has suggested the tariffs — which are taxes on imported goods — could serve several purposes, such as increasing federal tax revenue to offset other tax cuts, encouraging the reshoring of manufacturing, or as a negotiating tool to reduce tariffs among U.S. trading partners.

Those goals are contradictory in some respects: Tariffs that are imposed and later removed through negotiations resulting in lower trade barriers generate less tax revenue and remove the incentive for reshoring. Similarly, if companies move operations to the U.S. to avoid tariffs, the government would collect less tax revenue.

Trump's announcement could shed more light on what the administration's end goal for its tariff plans is, as well as the status of its talks with America's trading partners.

Fox News

Oil prices fell further in early Asian trade on Friday, and were on track for the worst week in months over U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariffs, stoking concerns over a global trade war that could weigh on oil demand.

Brent futures fell 31 cents, or 0.4%, to $69.83 a barrel by 0157 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 32 cents, or 0.5%, to $66.63. Brent was on course for its biggest weekly loss in percentage terms since the week ended October 14, and WTI since the week ended January 21.

Adding to the bearish sentiment was a decision by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies (OPEC+) to advance their plan for oil output increases, with the organisation now aiming to return 411,000 barrels per day to the market in May, up from 135,000 bpd as initially planned.

"This brings forward the expected surplus that we see in the oil market this year. More OPEC+ supply should translate to more medium sour crude oil and a wider Brent-Dubai spread," analysts at ING said on Friday. "This spread has seen an unusual discount for much of the year."

Both benchmarks started plunging lower since Trump's news conference on Wednesday afternoon, which he called "Liberation Day" as he announced a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the United States and higher duties on dozens of the country's biggest trading partners.

Imports of oil, gas and refined products were exempted from Trump's sweeping new tariffs, but the policies could stoke inflation, slow economic growth and intensify trade disputes, weighing on oil prices.

Reuters

The Edo chapter of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has extended the service of some corps members by 90 days.

The punishment, TheCable understands, was approved by Frances Ben-Ushie, the Edo state coordinator of NYSC.

The affected corps members were penalised for protesting their unpaid N77,000 allowance in a social media group.

They learned of their punishment after receiving a “notification of extension of service” instead of the expected discharge certificates.

The NYSC management in Edo sanctioned the corps members with a 90-day service extension without pay.

The sanctioned corps members, it is understood, were originally scheduled to complete their service year on March 17, 2025.

However, the punishment has drawn criticism from social media users, with many arguing that the penalty does not match the offense.

Among the critics is Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate under African Action Congress (AAC), who said the action is “unacceptable and therefore, will not stand”.

“NYSC in Edo is punishing corps members with a 90-day extension—without pay—for simply demanding their rightful ₦77,000 allowance?” a user of the microblogging site X asked.

“Instead of addressing the non-payment, they resort to oppression. This is exploitation, not service to the nation! Unacceptable!”

Another user argued that the corps members deserved to be punished for their actions.

“Well, it serves them right. But I 100% know the new @officialnyscng, as a regular will temper justice with mercy by releasing them,” the post read.

As of this reporting, Caroline Embu, the NYSC spokesperson, had yet to speak on the matter.

The Cable

Hundreds of thousands flee as Israel seizes Rafah in new Gaza 'security zone'

Hundreds of thousands of fleeing Gazans sought shelter on Thursday in one of the biggest mass displacements of the war, as Israeli forces advanced into the ruins of the city of Rafah, part of a newly announced "security zone" they intend to seize.

A day after declaring their intention to capture large swathes of the crowded enclave, Israeli forces pushed into the city on Gaza's southern edge which had served as a last refuge for people fleeing other areas for much of the war.

Gaza's health ministry reported at least 97 people killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours, including at least 20 killed in an airstrike around dawn in Shejaia, a suburb of Gaza City in the north.

Later on Thursday, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 27 Palestinians inside a school building that served as a shelter for displaced families in Gaza City, local health authorities said. The Israeli military said the attack hit key Palestinian "terrorists."

Medics said three missiles slammed into the Dar Al-Arqam school building in Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City, and the Israeli military said it struck a command centre that had been used by militants to plan and execute attacks against Israeli civilians and army troops.

Rafah "is gone, it is being wiped out," a father of seven among the hundreds of thousands who had fled from Rafah to neighbouring Khan Younis, told Reuters via a chat app.

"They are knocking down what is left standing of houses and property," said the man who declined to be identified for fear of repercussions.

The assault to capture Rafah is a major escalation in the war, which Israel restarted last month after effectively abandoning a ceasefire in place since January.

In Shejaia in the north, one of the districts where Israel has ordered the population to leave, hundreds of residents streamed out on Thursday, some carrying their belongings as they walked, others on donkey carts and bikes or in vans.

"I want to die. Let them kill us and free us from this life. We’re not living, we’re dead," said Umm Aaed Bardaa.

In Khan Younis, where several people were killed by a strike, Adel Abu Fakher was checking the damage to his tent: "There’s nothing left for us. We’re being killed while asleep," he said.

GAZANS FEAR PERMANENT DEPOPULATION

Israel has not spelled out its long-term aims for the security zone its troops are now seizing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops were taking an area he called the "Morag Axis", a reference to an abandoned former Israeli settlement between Rafah and Khan Younis.

Gazans who had returned to homes in the ruins during the ceasefire have now been ordered to flee communities on the northern and southern edges of the strip.

They fear Israel's intention is to depopulate those areas indefinitely, leaving many hundreds of thousands of people permanently homeless while Israel seizes some of Gaza's last agricultural land and critical water infrastructure.

Since the first phase of the ceasefire expired at the start of March with no agreement to prolong it, Israel has imposed a total blockade on all goods for Gaza's 2.3 million residents, recreating what international organisations call a humanitarian catastrophe.

Israel's military said on Thursday it was conducting an investigation into the deaths of 15 Palestinian aid workers found buried in a shallow grave in March near Red Crescent vehicles, an incident that caused global alarm. The military said troops fired on the cars believing they carried fighters.

Israel's stated goal since the start of the war has been the destruction of the Hamas militant group which ran Gaza for nearly two decades.

But with no effort made to establish an alternative administration, Hamas returned to control during the ceasefire. Fighters still hold 59 dead and living hostages Israel says must be handed over to extend the truce temporarily; Hamas says it will free them only under a deal that permanently ends the war.

Israeli leaders say they have been encouraged by signs of protest in Gaza against Hamas, with hundreds of people demonstrating in north Gaza's Beit Lahiya on Wednesday. Hamas calls the protesters collaborators and says Israel is behind them.

The war began with a Hamas attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023 with gunmen killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.

Rafah residents said most of the local population had followed Israel's order to leave, as Israeli strikes toppled buildings there. But a strike on the main road between Khan Younis and Rafah stopped most movement between the two cities.

Movement of people and traffic along the western coastal road near Morag was also limited by bombardment.

"Others stayed because they don't know where to go, or got fed up of being displaced several times. We are afraid they might be killed or at best detained," said Basem, a resident of Rafah who declined to give a second name.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Significant progress made on Ukraine ceasefire – Putin aide

The US-brokered energy truce was a major step towards ending the Ukraine conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitirev, has said during his trip to the US.

Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, traveled to Washington to discuss further steps in normalizing bilateral ties largely suspended in 2022. 

“We are noting a positive dynamic in our relations,” Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening.

He added that “significant progress has already been made” towards reaching a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire.

“For example, under the leadership of presidents [Vladimir] Putin and [Donald] Trump, an agreement has been made to refrain from strikes on energy infrastructure between Russia and Ukraine. It is a first step to deescalate the Ukraine conflict,” the envoy said.

Following a phone call with Trump on March 18, Putin said that he had instructed the Russian army to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy sites for 30 days. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky later endorsed the arrangement.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has been routinely violating the truce, including four attacks on Russia’s energy sites on Thursday alone. Ukraine has been targeting fuel depots, gas facilities, and elements of the power grid, the MOD said.

Kiev has claimed that it was following the energy truce and accused Moscow of striking the gas facilities operated by the energy giant Naftogaz.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia and Ukraine trade new accusations on breaches of energy truce

Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Wednesday of launching new attacks against each other's energy facilities, in violation of a U.S.-brokered moratorium.

Both sides said they were providing details of the alleged violations to the United States, which persuaded Moscow and Kyiv to agree to the limited truce last month as a hoped-for stepping stone towards a full ceasefire.

Russia's defence ministry said Ukraine had conducted drone and shelling attacks in the western Kursk region that cut off power to over 1,500 households.

In the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Luhansk region, the state gas company said that a Ukraine drone strike on a gas distribution station had left more than 11,000 customers around the town of Svatove with limited access to gas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a Russian drone hit an energy substation in Sumy region and artillery fire damaged a power line in Dnipropetrovsk, cutting off electricity to nearly 4,000 consumers.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is impatient with both sides to move faster towards ending the three-year war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the fact that President Vladimir Putin had agreed the energy truce was evidence he was serious about engaging in a peace process - something that Kyiv and some of its European allies dispute.

Peskov said that Moscow would keep working with the Americans despite what he called daily Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Russia was breaking the energy truce and called on the U.S. to boost sanctions against Moscow, as Trump has threatened to do.

Ukraine said last month it was willing to accept a full 30-day ceasefire but Putin declined to agree to that, raising a series of questions about how it would be monitored and concerns that Ukraine would use the breathing space to mobilise more soldiers and acquire more weapons from the West.

RT/Reuters

He didn’t say when his father asked him, but I wonder what the old man must think in his grave. Jonathan Power is now 83 and arguably one of Europe’s most widely published columnists.

He was a young freelance journalist when his father asked him the question. Still, even if he had lived to see his son syndicated globally, including by some of the world’s most prestigious newspapers and magazines, I’m not sure his father would have retracted the question: when will you get a proper job?

Power’s father didn’t think of journalism as a job. Instead, he considered it a lens or a keyhole through which one looks at the world’s most notable jobs like engineering or medicine. A side hustle, in today’s language. That was perhaps the whole point of supporting him to study agricultural economics, a distant cousin – but a cousin anyway – of some of the world’s proper job routes, only for his son to go astray.

More than a betrayal

I’ve known Jonathan Power for over 25 years. But I met him again in his new book When Are You Going to Get a Proper Job? It’s a chronicle of his 60 years in journalism, which helped me understand why he once told me that I’d be better off being a plumber than hoping to make money from syndicated writing. It also helped me understand why my son regards journalism with courteous disdain.

But Power’s 227-page novel-like autobiography published by Noema in 2024 is more than a son’s betrayal of his father’s wishes. It’s also about relationships, love (especially eros), travel, religion and faith in the intrinsic goodness of the human being.

When Are You Going to Get a Proper Job? divides Power’s life into three main parts: his love/family life, his travel encounters mostly related to his job as a foreign correspondent or human rights advocate, and his quest for the essence of life.

The heart is not smart

Power is a passionate husband and a doting father but a woefully unlucky lover. If you discount the tragic end of the Barnes in Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, in which Dickie Barnes is a principal character, Power’s account of his love and marriage life reminds you of how complications and unresolved issues in a marriage can undo even the best intentions, leaving emotional scars that won’t go away, even when it’s all over.

I started reading Power’s 15-chapter book from Chapter 4, entitled “My long-time friend, Nigeria’s Big Man”, but quickly returned to Chapter 1, “I and Me.” I should have started here. While I could easily relate to Chapter 4, which deals with Power’s over 40 years relationship with one of the troublers of Nigeria, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, “I and Me” explores a more universal, human conundrum: love.

“If only I had been more lucky, wise, sensible…,” Power writes. “I never found the clarity of mind, the right sound or (the) perfect female. I died with no money in the bank.” He was talking to himself.

The women in his life

Two women dominate the first more than 20 years of Power’s love story: Anne and Mary Jane. He met Anne when they both worked on Martin Luther King’s staff, and he met Mary, the stewardess, on the plane. He was attracted to each woman for a different reason – Anne was his philosophical soulmate, and Mary, who came after, was the Beyonce missing in Anne.

When the tests came after three children with Anne and one with Mary – all girls – the gardens of the marriages were undermined by the foxes of irreconcilable individual differences. The endings were bitter. In Power’s earlier novel, The Human Flow, he quoted Chimamanda Adichie as saying, “You don’t fall in love. You climb up to love.” Power climbed but fell badly.

Man on the road

The book is more than a failed love story told by a journalist with a heartfelt, almost naïve honesty. Power’s travel diary is remarkable, not just for his travels but also for the purpose, people, sights, sounds, and smells, as well as the impact of a few of the dramatic moments, like when he was almost stranded in the Caribbean after losing his guide, and later, his wallet.

His visits to Tanzania, Nigeria, Brazil, Guatemala, and India make for fascinating reading. Curiosity took him on some of these visits, but the quest for the truth, the desire to make a difference by chasing down the main actors – sometimes at significant personal risk – kept him returning to the trail.

Journalism did not discover the law of gravity, invent the submarine or split the atom. However, this improper job can also be gratifying by occasionally presenting the opportunity to change the course of history by engaging those who sometimes deploy scientific inventions or power in devastating uses.

Who knows what the world might have been if Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward hadn’t played their part in exposing Watergate or if Oriana Fallaci hadn’t tackled the Shah of Iran?

Walking a tightrope

From Chapters 3 to 10, Power writes about his relationship with former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere and how Ujamaa fell far short of its redemptive promise despite the iconic leader’s best intentions.

A chunk of Power’s diaries on his encounters with influential people is devoted to his friendship with Nigeria’s former President Obasanjo, whom he met in the retired general’s first life as military president.

The dynamic of Power’s relationship with Obasanjo is quite interesting. He stroked Obasanjo’s ego when asking testy questions, for example, about allegations of human rights abuses against Nigeria’s military – the most appalling of which was in Odi – almost spoiling the interview.

The relentless stream of presidential guests sometimes threatened his interviews. Still, he managed to navigate it as he navigated his host’s tempestuous mood by sometimes enduring his self-adulatory game of squash. Obasanjo is a bundle of contradictions, nice and nasty in unequal measure.

Yet, Power managed to get away with openly complimenting the “gorgeous breasts” of Obasanjo’s wife and teasing him about the misuse of oil money, the bane of all Nigerian governments. Did Power get a pass because he might have contributed to saving Obasanjo’s life by speaking to German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt on his behalf when Sani Abacha jailed the general on charges of coup plotting?

The spirit of Martin Luther King

Power’s visits to Brazil, where, as changes in the Amazon occurred, he observed significant shifts in power relations between peasants and clergy on the one hand and politicians, including Lula, who would later become president, on the other; his incisive conversations in New Delhi with Sonia Gandhi and Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad; and his encounter with Jimmy Carter that may have, by Andrew Young’s account, tangentially been responsible for Carter’s presidency are far more than one can get by viewing history from a keyhole.

The author’s early years of working on Martin Luther King’s staff in the ghetto slums of Chicago instilled in him the values of pursuing social change through peaceful means, fighting against injustice and discrimination, and fostering a society where everyone is treated with respect. 

Power’s views on US-Russia relations, sometimes sounding like a broken record, are also rooted in his sense of justice, respect and fair play.

A chastened life

These values come through, whether in his journalism or filmmaking – even intruding in his love quests, which perhaps explains why, despite the cost, he prioritised a peaceful breakup with Anne over a bitter divorce. The peacenik in him even sometimes brings him into a head-on collision with his improper job, journalism, which prefers to lead if it bleeds.

The book ends the way it starts: with existential questions about love, life and meaning, viewed from Power’s Swedish soul chastened by adventures. If the world was his oyster, the book is the reader’s shucker. As I look for a proper job, the book’s unpretentiousness and light touch in attempting to answer life’s difficult questions will make me read it again.

** Ishiekwene is the Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of Writing for Media and Monetising It.

Amanda Mactas

Surely you are no stranger to a fashion faux pas, but when it comes to jetsetting, there are a handful of faux pas you don't want to be a victim of either. Acting like it's your first time in a security line, hovering around the gate before your flight even begins boarding, and overpacking so you have to open your suitcase and shove things into your carry-on at the last minute are just a few of the things that are unfortunately way more common than they should be. But when it comes to your behavior on the actual aircraft, following proper etiquette can play a big role in whether your flight attendants want to get out their parachutes or not.

Aside from bringing aboard stinky snacks, there is more to airplane dining etiquette than meets the eye. If you're not one of the many people who bring their own food on the plane, chances are you take your pick from the on-board menu. However, before you press that call button, there are a few items you might want to add to your no-fly list. We spoke to flight attendants to find out what food and drinks you should never order on the airplane...and for good reason.

Coffee Or Tea

If you wake up on a redeye or have a super early morning flight, it might be your instinct to grab that much-needed caffeine boost once you're seated. But former flight attendant Alex Quigley strongly suggests thinking twice before ordering a cup. As he explains, airplanes utilize "potable" water tanks, and often, that water sits there for a long, long time. "There's no telling how often or when the tank has been cleaned last," he tells Delish. "This is a beast for bacteria. Plus, we were never allowed to pour the remaining coffee brewed into the drain of the airplane and were usually instructed to pour the coffee out into the toilet." Yes, you read that correctly. This entails bringing the pot into the bathroom to dispose of the coffee. "I can be honest and say I NEVER knew or saw anyone empty and refill or wash them out in between trips," he noted. Excuse me while I go vomit.

Strong-Smelling Snacks

Flight attendants specifically called out corn nuts, even though they are sometimes served in flight. "They are pretty tasty, but some of them stink the second you open the package," an anonymous flight attendant tells Delish. "We actually serve them in our first-class snack basket. The roasted barbecue flavor [is the worst]. When you open the bag, it smells like something is burning on the plane." We'd avoid other onion, garlic, or barbecue-flavored chips or snacks, too. No one likes a stinky plane.

Meat

Oftentimes, you'll have a selection of meal options to choose from on your flight. Quigley suggests avoiding any meat dish. "You're putting the trust of storing any meat in the flight attendant's hands, and as we all know, delays happen, and mechanical issues happen; so if you run into a situation where there's a possibility the cooked meals aren't actually being stored appropriately or have exceeded the storing time allotted for the meal," you can be in for trouble, he says. "Food poisoning on a plane? No thanks!"

Gas-Inducing Foods

"Avoid!" Quigley exclaims. "Air in the airplane is circulated, it's never fresh. That means if someone passes gas, you're breathing that in over and over again, so this is more so for common decency," he explains. This means cutting back on dairy, beans, fatty foods, green veggies, and sodas. Additionally, gassy food combined with the air pressure on an airplane can cause you to feel even more bloated, making you even more uncomfortable on what is likely an already not-so-comfy flight.

Alcoholic Beverages

We get it. Sometimes, you just want to sit back, turn on your TV monitor, and relax with a nice, cold drink in your hand. But, according to Quigley, "You're not actually doing yourself a favor by drinking on a flight." The combination of high altitude and alcohol can make you feel light-headed and can cause you to feel more drunk than were you on the ground. "When pressure is decreased in the airplane, the body can't absorb oxygen as well," Quigley explains, resulting in feeling not-so-good overall. Another flight attendant specifically calls out Bloody Marys. They tend to be super salty, which further dehydrates you on the plane. It's also best to avoid anything mixed with orange juice, as it tends to be high in acidity, which can upset the stomach. "I always tell folks to drink water," she tells us.

Women’s Health